Yarn cutter and clamp for knitting machines and method of operating same



May '24, 1932. v A. E. 'PAGE' 1,860,265 YARN CUTTER AND CLAMP FORKNITTING MACHINES AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME Filed y 19. 1927 3Sheets-Sheet 1 llllllllllllllllIlIlIII INVENTOR. ALBERT E.PAGE

May 24, 1932. PAGE Y 1,860,265

YARN CUTTER AND CLAMP FOR KNITTING MACHINES AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAMEFiled July 19, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,INVENTQR. E 777 Y ALBERT E. PAGE779 y 72:29 aiiarzzeys zrmmwnd vm May 24, 1932.

A. E. PAGE YARN CUTTER AND C LAMP FOR KNITTING MACHINES AND METHOD OFOPERATING SAME I5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 19, 1927 764 INVENTOR.

ALBERT E. PAGE 6y his ail-drags Mad-171M Patented May 24, 1932 TESUNITED STA eriSsuE PATENT OFFICE ALBERT E. PAGE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK,ASSIGNOR TO SCOTT & WILLIAMS, INOOR- POBATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AGORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS YARN CUTTER AND CLAMP FOR KNITTING MACHINESAND METHOD OF OPERATING Application filed .Tuly 19,

This invention relates to cutters and clamps for knitting machines andmore particularly to a method of operating a high splicing cutter andclamp for circular knitting machines having a dial. Cutters and clampsheretofore used for sectional splicing yarns have been located insidethe needle circle below the throatplate in order that the yarn may getinto the clamp as quickly as possible; In machines having dials there isnot room inside the needle circle for a cutter and clamp at that level,and it is one purpose of the present invention to produce a cutter andclamp for sectional splicing which is adapted to be used in machineshaving dials. Another object of the invention is to provide a method ofinserting the yarn which is quick and positive.

According to this invention the cutter and clamp may be set above thelevel of the needles at the throatplate in such a manner as not tointerfere with the dial. The clamp causes insertion of the yarns by itsown movement by forming a loop in the yarn and then offering that loopto the needles. According to this method the yarn finger is lowered toits feeding point before it is time to insert the yarn, and the cutteris raised from its normal position to a higher one before the yarn isinserted. This is done in such manner as to form a slack in the yarn andwhen it is time to insert the yarn, the cutter and clamp is merelydropped down nearer the yarn finger, thus throwing a loop of yarn in thepath of the needles. The yarn is removed from the needles and given tothe cutter and clamp by raising the yarn finger tonon-feeding position,the raising of the cutter and clamp occurring before or after theremoval of the yarn, as desired.

In the drawings the invention will be shown in the well known Scott &Williams type of seamless hosiery machine in which the needle cylinderrevolves and the cam cylinder is stationary, but it should be understoodthat the method and mechanism are both applicable to other 'typesofmachines.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a seamless ribbed hosierymachine showingthe new high splice SAME 1927. Serial No. 206,986.

cutter and clamp and the mechanism operating it;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the head of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the head ofthe machine showing t-he'cutter and clamp;

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the cutter andclamp;

Fig. 5 is a plan view from below partially in section showing the cutterand clamp before ithas operated on the yarn;

' Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 after the I yarn has been cut andclamped;

Figs. 7 to 12 are views of successive operations looking at thethroatplate from the front of the machine, Fig. 7 showing the splicingyarn finger feeding to the needles;

Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the yarn finger lifted and holding theyarn in the jaws of the cutter and'clamp; I

Fig. 9 is a similar view after the yarn has been cut and clamped;

Fig. 10 is a similar View showing the yarn finger lowered to operativeposition but the cutter and clamp raised;

Fig. 11 is a similar view showing the'cutter and clamp ofl'ering a loopof yarn to the needles;

Fig. 12 is a similar view lets go of the yarn;

just as the clamp Fig. 13 is a side elevation corresponding to Fig 8,while Fig. 14 is a side elevation to Fig. 11.

Referring to the drawings, there is the usual needle cylinder 260 withindependent latch needles N" vertically movable therein, yarn fingers Fpivotally mounted on a stud 554 on the latch ring 550 which in turn ispivoted on the upright bracket 401 on the bedplate B of the machine.These yarn fingers are adapted tobe lifted out of action and droppedinto action by the usual thrust rods 460 operating from cams on thesurface of the main pattern drum 120, as usual. Suspended above theneedle cylinder 260 by means of a bracket 15 fastened on the latch ring550 is a dial spindle d carrying a dial D which may carry secondaryknitting instrucorresponding ments (not shown) and the ordinary cutter cand clamp c if desired (Fig. 2)

In order to cut and clamp successfully yarns which are thrown into andout of action frequently at borders of predetermined segments of thefabric such for instance as in the case of split foot stockings or highsplicing at the heel, it is necessary :to rovide a special cutter'andclamp.

' been heretofore known.

. arns, being actuated ,by

the cutter and clamp Hereto ore, these cutters and clamps for sectionalsplicing have been of the general type shown in the atent to Robert W.Scott No. 1,274,338 dated July of cutter the splicing yarns areinsertedby bringing the yarn finger into feeding positionthe cutter and. clampbeing set at a pointbelow the level of the needles as they pass thethroatplate. In any circularknitting machine having a dial, such forexample as the machine shown in the U. S. Patent of Robert W. Scott No.1,641,554, there is-not sufficient room above the dial for the sectionalsplicing cutter and clamp such as has In the example shown ing outsidethe yoke 550. he cutter and clamp which the cutting blade 784 and theclamping blade 785 project inwardly and downwardly over the needles.Between and on either side of the cutting and clamping blades are guidemembers'7 86 held fixedly in the frame by a cover plate 787. (Figs. 4,5, and 6.) The cutting and clamping blades have hooked forward ends tocatch the yarns, the inner edge of the cutting blade be'n sharpened.These two blades sl1de longitu 'nally of the frame in cutting, clampingand releasing the 77 pivoted at X on the cutt'erbracket 7 67 andconnectedto the feet 7 84' and 7 85 of the blades. The operating leveris actuated by the following mechanism from a peripheral cam 296 on theusual sinker. ring revolving with the needles. There is a swlnging arm778 carrying a finger 783 engaging the cam 296 and a wire 779 connectedto the operating lever 777 and passin through the free .end of theswinging arm 778. wire is a collar 7 82 and there is a spring 780tending to hold the finger 783 against the cam 296, the spring bracket 767 and a collar 781 on the wire 779 near its mid-point. This springserves to open the clamp and cutter when permitted by the cam 296.

' When the machine is knitting portions of the stocking where sectionalsplicing is not bein done the sectional cutter and clamp can raised outof action from the main pattern drum- 120 by a rearwardly extending arm768 on the bracket 7 67 This arm 7' 68 is 30, 1918. With this type inthe drawings the y new sectional splicing cutter and clamp is carried bya bracket 767 pivoted on an extension of the stud 5541 of the latch ringproper consist of a slotted frame 794 from' an operating lever- On theend of the being stretched between connected to a thrust rod 769 pivotedto one arm of a cam lever 770 mounted on a stud 450 on the frame of themachine. Thefree end of this cam lever lies in one of the cam paths onthe main pattern drum 120. When the c'anrlever 770 rides up on a cam 501or 502 on the main pattern drum, the cutter and clamp is lifted out ofoperative position. Except during sectional splicing the sectionalsplicing yarn is held by the main cutter and clamp and 0.

It is necessary that the sectional cutter does not operate except duringsectional splicing. For this purpose there is a lug 793' on the latchring 550 lying just in front of the opgerating lever 777 between thepivot point of in its upward travel will bear against the lug 793 andwill be moved about its pivot X, thereby shifting the wire 779 to putthe collar 782 in a position such that swinging of the arm 7 7 8' causedby the cam 296 will be inefi'ective to move the wire 779 and the lever777.

In such position, the cam 296 does not operate the cutter and clamp."This prevents yarns in the inactive yarn fingers from being severedfbythis cutter while out ofaction.

According to the embodiment of the invention being described, the yarnis fed to the needles by dipping the clamp downwardly. The position ofthe cutter and clamp is above the needles at the throatplate and abovethe feeding level of theyarn fingers. The lowerv most position of thecutter and clamp is determined by means of an adjusting screw 771 on theforward end of the cutter bracket and resting on top of the latch ringopposite the usual throatplate 559. To raise and dip the I the clamp,thus pushing the loop ofyarn If down into the path of the needles.

The sectional splicing yarn finger may be. actuated through its thrustrod 460 by mechanism such as shown and described in the patent to RobertW. Scott dated July 30, 1918 Number 1,274,338. I

To insure that the endsof the sectional splicing yarns which have beenout 01f do not project downwardly between the needles and thus comethrough to theright side of the 7 finished fabric, a brush 788 is placednear the needles at the knitting point, this brush tending to sweep theends of the yarns inside the needle circle. In order that this brush maybe taken out of action when the sectional splicing cutter and clamp goesout of action the'brush is pivotally mounted on a bracket 789 having alug 7'90 lying in the path of a downwardly projecting arm 791 of thecutter bracket 7 67. There is a spring 792 tending to hold the brush inposition and the parts are so adjusted that when the cutter bracket 767is raised out of action by a cam on the main pattern drum, thisdownwardly depending projection 791 of the cutter bracket 7 67 willcause the brush 788 to be pulled out of contact with the circle ofneedles.

Having now described the construction of the novel parts of theinvention, the operation of the device will be set forth. Assuming thata stockingis being knit from toe to top, the starting up course, loopersrounds and toe are made in the usual manner. The next piece of fabric tobe made is the foot which has a spliced sole. At this point the mainpattern drum 120 is racked ahead and the cam lever 770 drops off the cam501. The spring 780 pulls the yarn cutter bracket 767 down until itsadjusting screw 771 rests on the latch ring bracket 550 in whichposition the cutter and clamp are down in their lower position over theneedles. The arm 791 also allows the spring 792 (Fig. 3) to swing thebrush 788,

into position for action. The same movement of the main pattern drum 120causes the thrust rod controlling the splicing yarn finger to drop downand the splicing yarn to be fed to the needles beginning on thesectional needles having low butts in the well known manner. (Fig. 7).After the segment of the needles knitting the sole of the stocking havetaken the yarn, the splicing finger is lifted out at the last mediumbutt needle and the splicing yarn is raised into and caught inside thehooked forward ends of the cutter blade 784 and clamping blade 785.(Figs. 8 and 10). At this point the finger 783 of the swinging arm 778comes in contact with the leading end of the peripheral cam 296 causingthe lever 777 to withdraw the cutter blade 784 and the clampingblade'785 into the guide'members 786 cutting and clamping the yarns(Fig. 9).

When the revolution of the needle cylinder brings the first needle whichis to receive the splicing yarn on the next course about 1 inches awayfrom the splicing finger, that splicing finger is dropped down intooperative position y its thrust rod 460 and simultaneously the cam 773on the dial spindle causes the cutter and clamp to be raised about A ofan inch. This raising of the cutter and clamp could have been causedbefore the yarn finger was raised, if so desired. This movement draws anextra length of yarn between the yarn finger and the cut-' ter andclamp. At this moment the yarns are passing above the needles at thethroatplate. The adjustable link 774 rides ofi' the cam 773 on the dialspindle 03 just in time for the cutter and clamp to drop down and throwa loop in front of the first needle which is to take the splicing yarn(Figs. 11 and 13). The finger l 83 then rides off the peripheral cam 296and the yarn is released to be knit in (Fig. 12). This loop-throwingyarn cutter and clamp is so active that it is not necessary to separatethe needles into diflerv clamp and the eye of the yarn finger is greaterthan the spacing between said portion and eye, and'that therefore a loopof yarn exists between them and extends into the path of the needles.The manipulation of the yarn finger and clamp previous to their arrivalat their respective yarn inserting positions are for the purpose ofdrawing such a length of yarn between them.

The cycle of operations just described continues until the heel isreached at which point the cam lever 77 0 rides up on to its heel'cam502 which raises the cutter and clamp and the bracket 767 entirely abovethe latch ring bracket 550 making it possible to manipulate any gapclosing ring. This raising of the sectlonal cutter and clamp preferablytakes place just before the high splicing yarn finger is lifted out inorder that the regular cutter 0 and clamp a mounted on the dialcap maycut and hold the sectional splicing yarn until sectional splicing isresumed. The raising of the cutter and clamp also swings the brush 7 88away from the needle circle and pushes the lever 777 until the finger783 cannot 0perate the sectional cutter. It might be noticed also thatthis lifting of the cutter and clamp also causes the adjustable link 774to be withdrawn from contact with the cam 773 on the dial spindle thusobviating any possibility of the link catching on the cam duringreciprocating knitting in the heel or Q on the foot and will be obviousto anyone skilled in the art- The advantages of this novel method of andmechanism for inserting yarn will be obvious to those skilled in theart, and I do not wish to be limited in the uses to which it may be'put.

What I claim is:

' 1. A method of inserting yarn for knitting which" comprises firstlowering toward its feeding point a yarn finger containing the yarn andthen offering that yarn to the needles by movement of a clamp holdingthe yarn. p

2. A method of inserting yarn for knitting which comprises firstlowering toward its feeding point a yarn finger containing the yarn andthen offering that yarn to the needles by dipping a clamp holding theyarn.

3. A method of inserting yarn for knitting which comprises firstlowering to its feeding point a yarn finger containing the yarn, thenforming a loop in the yarn and offering that loop to the holding theyarn.

4. A method of inserting yarn for knitting which comprises first movinga yarn finger V ger and then dipping the clamp and finger into a loop inthe path 0 toward its feeding position and-then bringing a clamp nearertheyarn finger in such manner as to throw the yarn between the theneedles.

'5. Amethod of splicing yarns in knitting in which the yarn fingerraises the yarn into a cutter and clamp located above the throatplate,and in the same course the yarn is fed to the needles by first loweringthe yarn finclamp.

6.- A method of splicing in knitting in which the yarn is taken out ofaction-an put into a cutter and clamp at one point in a of yarn into thepath of the *ping the clamp.

course by raising the yarn finger and in the same course the yarn is fedto the needles by drawing slack in the yarn, by means of raising theclamp and lowering the yarn finger to feeding position vand thenthrowing a loop needles by dip- 7. A method of inserting a yarn forknitting which comprises drawing between a yarn finger and a yarn clampa yarn portion longer than the spacing between the yarn engaging portionof the clamp and the eye of the yarn finger when said elements are intheir respective yarn inserting positions, and putting said portion inthe path of the needles in the form of a loop by movement of saidelements toward their yarn inserting po- .sitions.

8. A method of inserting a yarn for knitting which comprisesmanipulation of a yarn finger and. a yarn clamp to draw between them alength of yarn and to put said length of yarn in the path of the needlesin the form.

needles by movement of a clamp 4 f a bight of the yarn to and to throw aloop Lseeaeo of a loop when said yarn finger is in its vyarn y relativemovement therebetween and put- 1 ting said yarn in the path oftheneedlesby movement ofthe yarnclam toward said needle path while saidyarn ger is in its yarn feeding position. 7

10. In aknitting machine, a series of needles, a yarn finger movable toand from its yarn feeding position, a yarn clamp adapted to receive andclamp the yarn when moved from said needles by said yarn finger, meansfor operating said clamp and said yarn finger, said means being adaptedto move said clamp and finger to draw a length of yarn between them andto move said finger to its yarn feeding position and then to move saidclamp, position, to put said length ofyarn in the path of said needles.I I

11. A circular knitting machine having a circle of needles and asplicing yarn finger adapted to feed yarn to a group of said needles, incombination with a cutter and clamp for said yarn and means adaptedduring each of ,a plurality of courses to actuate said cut-v dip theclamp to cause be ofiered to theneedles during eachof said courses.

12. A circular knitting machine having a rib dial, a circle of c linderneedles and a splicing yarn finger a apted to feed yarn to a group ofsaid needles, in combination with a cutter and clamp for said yarnmounted above the dial and means dapted during each of a plurality ofcourses to actuate said ter and clamp and to d cutter and clamp and todip the clamp to a level above the dial to cause a bight of the yarn tobe offered to the needles.

13. A circular knitting machine havin a dial, a circle of cylinderneedles and a sp ic- I ing yarn finger adapted to feedv yarn to 'a groupof said cylinder needles, in combination with a cutter and clamp forsaid yarn and means adapted during each of a plurality of courses toactuate said cutter and clamp of yarn into the path of the cylinderneedles by a dipping movement of the clamp.

14. A circular knitting machine havin a rib dial, a circle of cylinderneedles an a splicing yarn finger adapted to feed yarn to a group ofsaid cylinder needles,

in combiand nation with a cutter and clamp for said yarn and. meansadapted during each of a plurality of courses to ac'tuatesaid cutter andclamp and to throw the yarn between the clamp and finger into a loop inthe path of the needles in advance of the clamp by dipping said clamp.

15. A circular knittingmachine-havin a rib dial, a circle of cylinderneedles an a splicing yarn finger adapted to feed yarn to a group ofsaid needles, in combination with a cutter and clamp for said yarn andmeans adapted during each of a plurality of courses to actuate saidcutter and clamp for said yarn and to raise and lower the clamp tocooperate with said yarn finger in ofi'ering yarn to the needles at alevel below the clamp, and means for moving said cutter and clamp out ofactive position and for rendering them inoperative when so moving.

16. A circular knitting machine having a circle of needles, a splicingyarn finger adapted to feed yarn to a group of said needles and a cutterand'clamp to receive the yarn when moved from the needles by saidfinger, in combination with means for eifecting relative movementbetween said clamp and yarn finger during each of-a plurality of coursesto draw a length of yarn between them and for moving the clamp to offerthat length of yarn to the needles by dipping the clamp.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. ALBERTE. PAGE.

